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Opportunity for New Workflow

Fried Fried

Is from: Hot Springs Village, US
554 posts

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Fried Registered since 15th Jul 2003
Fri 26-Feb-10 01:26 PM
Hello Everyone

New Lightroom user, experienced Bridge+Photoshop user. I shoot competitive sailing events. In search of more speed-to-completion and simplicity.

I am also undertaking a major redesign and redeployment of my website and this will necessitate making new JPEGS for my entire catalog (approx 15,000 images). So this gives me a great opportunity to rethink my post processing. Ideally, I'd like to use this rebuild exercise to develop and get comfortable with a new workflow I can use at future events. I'm also going to use it to implement a standard file naming convention and set of keywords, and clean up some old work.

So I need:
A. A LR workflow that goes back to the original NEF but keeps the old ACR adjustments (at least the crop and level) so I can generate my new JPEGS with a minimum of rework
B. A new LR-based workflow for future events to replace my existing workflow. A significantly FASTER one!

Current workflow consists of:

At the event:
1. Shoot in RAW
2. Transfer RAW files from CF card to laptop "work in process" folder using OS. There are usually 800-1200 images
3. Open Bridge and let it build it's cache (XMP sidecars)
4. Rename all files with an event tag and sequence #
5. View each image in slideshow mode, giving "keepers" a 2-star rating (there are usually 80-150 of these)
6. Open groups of the keepers in ACR, depending on lighting, etc
7. Adjust WB, exposure, level and crop, some shadow recovery, spot removal etc
8. Click on Done for that group; loop through groups of keepers until all are "finished"
9. From Bridge, launch a PS CS4 action that: applies a moderate smart sharpen, noise ninja, saves as PSD in one folder, saves as fixed-size JPEG in another (this was the mistake I'm now having to go back and remedy; I should have been creating full-size JPEG as well along the way)
10. Upload JPEG online, keep PSD on laptop as needed for hi rez publication/printing
When I get home:
1. Delete the rejected NEFs (I've never regretted this; there are tons of rejects in this line of photography)
2. Transfer the "work in process" folders to my RAID5, backup to tape
3. Compare all folder sizes, preview all files on RAID5 in Bridge, then delete off laptop

I could, of course, simply rerun the PSD files through PS and make full resolution JPEGS. BUT...

I have the latest version of Lightroom and just finished Kelby's LR book. It looks promising. A little worried about LR catalog being the mother lode. Nevertheless, I'm excited about trying a new approach/application but I've earned so many bruises with PS+Bridge over the past 6 years I'm very reluctant to leap off this cliff. Adobe software has punished me too many times.

Fried Elliott * Dallas TX USA * www.friedbits.com
"Nikonians membership - My most important photographic investment, after the camera"
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